Well I never, that’s where that town is!

[CormoranStrike]

I have spent fifty years - okay, cumulatively probably just fifty minutes - being utterly convinced Exeter was near Cambridge.

Today I had to check it in a map! Who knew? It’s kind of a Torquay/Plymouth way.

My world is tilting in its axel.

Anyone have other random finds like this?

Someone moved Ipswich. It was always south London as far I as I was concerned.
Then I found it on a map over Suffolk!!

When I was at the University of Kent there was a trip for freshers to Leeds Castle. I didn't go because I thought Leeds was way too far for a day trip.

Guyana is obviously in Africa, as is Surinam.

Uruguay and Paraguay are Caribbean islands.

Unless we check a map....

Dunkirk is also a village (two of them) in North Staffordshire, near Stoke.

There are two Bangors in wales, Bangor in the north and Bangor on Dee near Wrexham (NE Wales)
Bangor on Dee has the racecourse, it's not unknown for horsebox drivers to follow the signs for Bangor and find out too late its the wrong one

Gibraltar was only connected by a very narrow bit of land before they filled it all in to build an airport, so it very nearly was an island.

Penrith is definitely in Wales and/or Cornwall.

Sits on the SW Scottish/NW English border.

Kiddieminster has given me the giggles!

I've lived in Rutland, Argyll, and now Manchester. Plus we holiday in England & Wales. My geography is getting pretty good

Penrith absolutely should be in Wales.

I've always known this but am still amazed that Norwich is further north than Birmingham

Rutland near Leicestershire?

until recently . i thought San Malo and Mnt StMichelle were the same place ..

For years I thought Newcastle was in NW and Manchester and Liverpool were in the NE. My current job has me travelling to all three an I still am not convinced.

My geography overall though is pretty good.

Bethlehem is in Wales

So is Nazareth (but I think you can also spell it Nasareth). I got a couple of rabbits from there on holiday once

Where EXACTLY are Wigan / Barnsley / Doncaster??

I’m surprised at Winchester - look how far south ! And Oxford - so much further north than I think. And as for Cheltenham it’s way further north than it should be. I think of all three in a pretty straight line due west of London.

At 18, starting university, I got a train to Hull. I was surprised when I arrived to find that the sea was to the right. I was expecting to be somewhere up on the north west coast with the sea to the left, not on the north east.

I had an ‘A’ for geography too.

There’s a Kilkenny in Gloucestershire, which I always hear in an Irish accent.
I thought Middlesbrough was south for years. No idea why.
My U.K. geography knowledge improved hugely when I worked for a conservative organisation that had big maps of Britain in every office.

I thought Norwich was SW of Birmingham. Not to the east.

Also had no idea Coventry and Birmingham were so close! I had Coventry way further south.

This is where having had a map/ journey obsessed grandfather puts me head and shoulders above the rest of ya

Weekends were a choice between Last of the Summer Wine and "So, Ruffle, if you found yourself over here in Kidderminster, what would be the most direct route home?" He had giant maps all over the place.

My mind is completely blown by Edinburgh being so far West

Skegness was in Scotland until a few years ago.

I was always confused about where Redcar was growing up too as I lived near an estate in a Tyne and Wear called Wreckenton and it was often called "Wrecka" but I thought people were saying Redcar. Blew my mind that they weren't the same place lol

Is it just me or is Ireland looking really much much bigger than it ‘should’ be ? around 50% bigger ?

I get this entirely, I thought Shrewsbury was somewhere in the south of England not far from London simply because I knew it was an important medieval town. Who knew it was near the Welsh border in the North West. I literally drove past it one day and was completely amazed that it was there